Will working part-time after FRA improve my husband's Social Security benefit amount?
My husband turns 67 (his full retirement age) next month and just filed for his Social Security retirement. His first payment should arrive in June. I'm trying to understand if his benefit amount will increase over time beyond just the annual COLA adjustments. He has a spotty work history - about 25 years with decent earnings and then several years of zero income while he was caring for his parents. He's planning to work part-time at his cousin's hardware store starting this summer. Will these new earnings potentially increase his monthly benefit amount since he'll be paying into Social Security again? Or once your benefit is calculated at FRA, does it only change with cost of living increases? I keep getting conflicting information from friends who say different things.
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Anastasia Kozlov
Yes, working after starting benefits can potentially increase your husband's benefit amount through what's called a benefit recalculation. SSA automatically reviews earnings records each year, and if the additional work would increase his benefit, they'll adjust it accordingly. This is separate from COLA increases. The increase depends on whether these new earnings are substantial enough to replace any of the lower/zero earning years used in his original calculation. Social Security uses the highest 35 years of indexed earnings to calculate benefits, so if he has fewer than 35 years, any new work could help fill those gaps.
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Diego Flores
•Thank you so much! That's exactly what I was hoping. Since he has those years with zero income, it sounds like even part-time work could help increase his benefit amount. Do you know if there's any way to estimate how much it might increase?
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Sean Flanagan
My dad worked after he started getting SS and they gave him a little more money each month. not alot but every dollar helps these days!!
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Zara Mirza
•It really depends on what his new earnings will be compared to the 35 years they used for the calculation. SSA looks at the highest 35 years of earnings (adjusted for inflation), so if your husband has years with $0 in the calculation, then yes - even modest part-time work earnings could replace those zeros and boost his benefit a bit. The increase is roughly 1/35th of the percentage increase in his average earnings.
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NebulaNinja
One thing nobody mentined is that since your husband reached full retirement age, there's NO LIMIT to how much he can earn without affecting his benefits!!! At FRA, the earnings test goes away completely. Before FRA they take away $1 for every $2 you earn over the limit. SO MANY PEOPLE don't know this important fact!!!
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Diego Flores
•Yes, that's one thing I did understand! It's why he waited until his FRA to file. He didn't want to deal with the earnings test and having benefits withheld. But I'm glad you mentioned it because I'm sure others reading this might not know about that important detail.
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Luca Russo
my sister worked parttime at walmart after she started getting her social security and it raised her payment like $40 a month after 2 years. not life changing but better than nothing i guess
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Nia Wilson
I've been trying to reach SSA for weeks about a similar recalculation question. Keep getting disconnected or wait times over 2 hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed that yes, working part-time will potentially increase benefits if the new earnings replace lower earnings years in the calculation. They said the adjustment happens automatically in the year following the work, usually around October when they process recalculations.
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Diego Flores
•Thanks for the tip about Claimyr. I might need that if I have more questions later. Good to know the recalculation happens automatically too - I was wondering if we'd need to request it.
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Mateo Sanchez
Dont get your hopes up too high. My husband worked 15hrs/week after retiring and his benefit only went up by like $17/month after 2yrs. Better than nothing but barely noticeable tbh.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•The amount of increase really varies based on individual circumstances. If someone had 35 strong earning years already, the increase might be minimal. But if someone has fewer than 35 years or several low-earning years in their calculation, even part-time work could make a more noticeable difference. It's all about whether the new earnings can replace lower earnings in the top 35 years.
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NebulaNinja
Wait, I'm confused. I thought SSI and SSDI were different from retirement benefits??? Does working affect all of these the same way??? My brother gets SSDI and they told him he CAN'T work or he'll lose everything!
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Zara Mirza
•You're right to be confused - they ARE different programs with very different rules! SSI (Supplemental Security Income) - Needs-based program with strict income/asset limits. Working can reduce benefits immediately. SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) - For disabled workers. Limited work allowed through Trial Work Period rules. Substantial earnings can eventually terminate benefits. Retirement Benefits - What this thread is discussing. No earnings limits after Full Retirement Age, and working can potentially increase benefits through recalculation. Your brother's situation with SSDI has completely different rules than retirement benefits.
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Luca Russo
I heard they look at your lifetime top 3 years not 35 years. My cousin is an accountant and he told me this.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•That's not correct for Social Security retirement benefits. SSA definitely uses the highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation) to calculate your benefit amount. Your cousin may be thinking of some other program or perhaps a pension system that uses a "high-3" calculation, but that's not how Social Security works.
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Diego Flores
I just wanted to thank everyone for the helpful information. I have a much better understanding now. It sounds like my husband should definitely continue with his plan to work part-time, as it may increase his benefit somewhat (even if it's modest) since he has fewer than 35 years of earnings. And there's no downside since he's at his full retirement age and can earn unlimited amounts without any reduction in benefits. It's great to know the recalculation happens automatically too. One less thing to worry about!
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